AKB0048: Next Stage

Don't you think the final boss is felt a bit forced ? I meant, he was supposed to be overpower and all, but his character build-up is so ass like 💀💀 also getting overpowered by Chieri's Center Nova's light is a pretty mid reason to be defeated. Ah well, again this is just an Pop-Corn anime, but lmk your opinion.

Yeah, it feels like something is missing. They had 13 episodes to explore our main characters more, but they only really started doing it here, which makes it feel a bit rushed. I mean, even Mimori got two whole episodes dedicated to her journey as Mariko's successor. Meanwhile, one of the main characters barely got her own defining moment. I'm talking about Nagisa, not Chieri. We saw Chieri have several standout moments throughout the previous episodes, but Nagisa often felt pushed into the background. I can understand why, though. This season seems more focused on exploring the mystery surrounding Center Nova. Still, if you're going to have two main characters whose ideals and ambitions eventually clash, you need to develop both sides fairly. From what I've seen, the story spends much more time presenting Chieri as the central focus, while Nagisa's role doesn't receive the same level of attention until much later. That doesn't completely ruin the episode for me, but it does make the character balance feel a little uneven. I want to talk about the villain, but that would be a spoiler, so I'll save it for the community discussion. Aside from that, the final live was at least very well made. Even though some of the movements felt a little weird because the genre was somewhat forced, I could still understand what they were going for. I also can't get over Chieri pulling a Rei Third Impact moment, bruv. That shi completely caught me off guard. 😭

Ok, hold on gng... how the hell did you expect a group of teenage idols to save you bro? And then you blame them for not saving your city? 😭Like, logically speaking, they're still human beings (NO IM NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT MAYUYU MK3 DAWG SHE'S A ROBOT). Retreating is a completely natural reaction when you're facing something you can't beat. MAN, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?! Okay, plot absurdity aside, the quality was actually pretty good. The transition from lightsticks to torches was crazy. It looked weird at first, but you get what they were going for, imma give it a 8/10

WHOA, WHOA, CHILL OUT, G- WHAT'S GOING ON NOW?! I'm pretty sure nobody had died before this 😭😭 This episode had so many twists and some absolutely crazy writing. I genuinely have no idea what's going to happen next because of the cliffhanger at the end. The quality stays consistent as always, and this episode is definitely unskippable.

How can the monster understand songs but not human language? Ah, I guess it's because of the melody. Sure, sure. Anyway, this episode is basically an adventure on a newly discovered planet that remains largely unknown. Now, for the quality check! The quality is perfectly fine, just like the other episodes.

AY YO, A NEW MYSTERY HAS OPENED UP! They finally figured out how to get there. I thought someone was done for... yet 00 turned out to be surprisingly kind. It was such a great moment to witness the rebirth of an idol... OKAY, NOW FOR THE QUALITY CHECK! SPACE BATTLE?! HELL YEAH! The animators definitely went crazy with this one, bro. And Blue Rose is an absolute banger too, gng.

DAFAQ?! ALL THAT HAPPENED THIS FAST?! HOLD ON, SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE STORY-oh... if you think about it, I guess this was necessary. Yeah, I can't really say much about this episode since it's basically a series of quick but important events. So I'll leave the story discussion to you guys. All I can provide is the quality check. The animation stays the same, but the song choices... well, I don't really like them here. They have more upbeat songs that could've brought a much bigger impact to the "THING," but welp, I guess it is what it is. Also, AKIBASTAR is just straight-up Akihabara bruv😭

OH MY GOAAATTTT!!! Mimori finally inherited her ancestor's name... THE OG!!! My God, giving a single character two whole episodes is so goated. Errr, honestly, it might be a bit of a waste, but alright- WHO CARES?! IT'S MIMORI. Okay, the quality remains consistent, and I genuinely love it. I just wish they had more song choices to bring into the next episode. So yeah, you can't skip this one, because Mimori's true identity was finally revealed.

PONYTAIL TO SHUSHU AND OOGOE DIAMOND IN THE SAME EPISODE?!!?! MY BRAIN IS FRIEDDDD 😭😭😭 OMG, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. I hadn't heard those songs in such a long time, and the goosebumps were REAL. This episode was purely dedicated to Mimori... our beloved oshi. Welp, by the end of it, we still don't know who's name she'll inherit. AND ANOTHER THING! THE BIRTH OF THE EGOIST!!! THE EMPRESS HAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED HER WAR! GO FOR IT!!! Okay, I won't even question anything about this episode. The song choices, the story, the emotional depth, everything was executed perfectly gng. It's easily one of the best episodes this anime has had so far.

HIGASHINO, MY GOATTTT!!! MAAANNN I don't know how they manage to pack so much hype and tension into every single episode. IT WAS SO GOOD I COULD DIEEEE... Every minute of this anime is a fragnance of AKB48's beauty. This episode mainly focuses on Makoto's character development, by the way. It was such a nice story for her. BTW, BACK TO IT! QUALITY CHECK!!! Okay, so the animation and everything else were fire. The concert scenes still use their usual 3D animation, but YEPP, THEY USED "HEAVY ROTATION" IN THIS ONE, SO IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FIRE!!! Yup, nothing really improved, but nothing dropped either. The studio maintained a very consistent level of quality throughout, and I appreciate that a lot. FINAL SCORE 8.7/10 + NO SKIP RECOMMENDED

REAL SHET, how did they manage to make a selection episode so tense?! I'm not even making this up, the entire episode was filled with tension and nervousness ✌😭 Even Chieri herself was nervous... well, for a different reason though. The wotas supporting everyone from outside were just like me fr. Ok ok, now for the quality check. Honestly, this episode would've been hella boring if they failed to execute it properly, but they didn't... IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS! The audience, the background music- OH YEAH, using "Heavy Rotation" as the OST for the 1st place announcement was a perfect match lol. I loved it so much. But as you can see, some members' reactions were skipped or shortened as if it were just another boring Wednesday, sure... but they had a valid reason for doing that. There were other members who were far more important to the plot, so they had to prioritize them first. Quality Score would be 8.4/10

Hol' up, was this entire episode just slandering Nagisa or what, gng? 😭 Why would she ask her own fans for her motivation?! okay, putting that aside, I absolutely loved Mimori in this episode, bruh. She might be my oshi for now, even though the fan service kept chasing after her lmao. They also went all in on 3D for the concert scenes, unlike other idol anime that usually combine 2D and 3D animation. Here, the 2D animation was mostly used as supporting frames rather than for the actual choreography. Still the 3D are better than our beloved school idol- AGH CMON ITS OVER ALREADY Oh yeah another thing, I know Acchan and Tsubasa was inspired by the AKB48 Members but like, we have similiar scene from JKT48 with Melody & Haruka lel, it's the same energy as they're, im crine 😭😭🌹

EY- E EY!!! Did they really leave us with such a cliffhanger?! Oh well, at least it's completed. I would've crashed out if it was still ongoing though. Dang, the senpai-kouhai interactions were pretty based and heartwarming. This episode mainly focuses on their side jobs outside of concerts and lives, so yeah, it's a fun episode to watch. Definitely not skippable, by the way, since the ending contains an important announcement.

Ok so, before we continue, we need to make one thing clear... this anime is basically a "Have you ever played idol with your life on the line?!" type of show. It's a really cool concept and new genre for me, how they made the concert into a war is crazy, and what amazed me the most is how they managed to turn almost every AKB48 element into part of the anime's core identity. Starting with the wota culture, they never miss an opportunity to sneak an AKB song title into everyday conversations 😭 That level of creativity from the studio is honestly impressive. If you've watched the first season, you'll already understand what's happening leading up to this episode. Basically, this is the beginning of the story after their grand live. I have to say, the animation, the songs, and pretty much everything about the production are incredibly well done. I don't really have anything to criticize, especially considering this is a 2013 anime. OH! and one more thing, if you're into the AKB48 franchise, there's a high chance this anime will give you goosebumps or hit you emotionally. They even brought in members from the original AKB48 cast. Since I'm more familiar with the JKT48 side of the franchise, I could recognize some references and songs, though not necessarily the members themselves. Even then, that was already enough to make this anime feel incredibly special to me.

This episode is full of substance, effectively propelling the progress of this narrative direction. Furthermore, it was a great idea to offer a subtle glimpse of connectivity between the real AKB48 and the story's lore, prompting everyone to see and truly comprehend that this is not just a mere anime series, but something deeply rooted in a reality that genuinely exists.

In all candor, I am biased toward a different significant character whom I have loved since the very beginning, yet this episode completely pierced my heart. Even though I do not particularly favor the specific character that was featured, the deep emotions showcased in this episode effectively move my heart, substantially heightening both the scenes and the depth of character development.

Honestly, if you clearly analyze the comparison between the lore and real-life dynamics that this episode showcases, it is brilliantly and cleverly written. The hidden meanings highlighted in each scene truly make your mind ponder deeply about the actual situations and circumstances behind them. Additionally, the song choices are wisely curated for this episode, since knowing the origin of these tracks compels me to conclude that the overall trajectory of this episode is willfully crafted.

Sasuga!!! It never fails to amaze me ever since the first season, the profound emotions are truly overwhelming in every single scene featured. You can genuinely feel the weight of it all, getting completely swept up in the emotional momentum, which is a strength that this episode highlights compellingly. The way it seamlessly balances high stakes action with a deep, substantial narrative is truly exceptional.

Actually, as a fan of the real-life AKB48, the narrative trajectory that this story unfolds resonates as a brilliant narrative metaphor if you thoroughly dissect and analyze it, proving to be incredibly well-written. Furthermore, the excellent combination contrasting the high stakes scenes while subverting the slice of life idol genre offers truly interesting and thrilling developments in the story's progression, especially as this episode now pivots the plot's direction.

Un final más espectacular no pudo haber, hasta se me salieron lágrimas de todos los milagros que puede crear los sentimientos y el amor que tenemos por los demás y hacia nuestro hogar. Extrañaré a todas y cada una de las Idols de 0048 y a las nuevas No Name, siempre tendrán un lugar en mi corazón.